SAN DIEGO YEAR IN REVIEW : THE TOP 10 SPORTS STORIES : 9 : 16-UNDER, AVOIDING THE GREEN

Left-hander Phil Mickelson became the fourth amateur to win a PGA Tour event by shooting a 16-under-par 271 at the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson in January.

But Mickelson, who turned 21 in June, calmly returned to classes at Arizona State the next day and passed on the $185,414 in prize money.

Mickelson, a graduate of University of San Diego High and a junior at ASU, chose to finish his education and play another season as an amateur.

“It’s nice to think about,” Mickelson said of the money. “But that’s all. There’s things I want to accomplish in life that have nothing to do with money. I want to win because I enjoy competition and want to be successful.”

Mickelson’s victory at Tucson qualified him for the Masters, where he shot an opening-round 69 before fading back into the pack on the final three days. He still finished as the low amateur in the tournament.

He made the cut at the U.S. Open, where he was again the low amateur, and the British Open.

Mickelson did not dominate the amateurs like he did in his first two years at ASU. He failed to win the NCAA championship for the first time in three years, taking fourth, and was ousted from the U.S. Amateur in the first round after winning it the previous year.

But he still won three amateur titles, which gives him a total of 15--three from Ben Crenshaw’s record.

He also won his second Haskins Award, the Heisman Trophy of college golf, and his second Nicklaus Award, based on amateur points standings.

But maybe Mickelson’s biggest thrill came in August at the Western Amateur in Benton Harbor, Mich., where he played with Michael Jordan. Mickelson shot a 67, Jordan an 85.